Instagram Ecommerce, Apps & Business Accounts: Are You Ready for the Coming Changes? (Here’s How to Make Sure)

This article is a must-read for brands that showcase Instagram or user-generated content (UGC) in their online stores. If you use Instagram to power …

Shoppable feeds on your storefront

Onsite Instagram-display feeds

Content on product pages

UGC from #hashtags

Everything is about to change.

Editorial note: An advanced copy of this article was shared with staff at Facebook and Instagram. While not representing an endorsement of the companies featured, no factual inaccuracies were identified and the content that follows was cleared for publication.

This is a special guest post by Michael Chachula, founder and CEO at Foursixty

Earlier this year, Facebook announced a number of changes to how users and apps can access Instagram content.

This is in no way due to Instagram’s policies or communication; instead, it’s more a matter of how rapidly social commerce is evolving alongside the usual demands of running a business.

Facebook’s new rules require a Business Account to use UGC onsite as well as to access the full breadth of Instagram’s data.

If you don’t switch to a Business Account and you don’t use an Instagram Graph API approved app, your UGC feeds will stop updating in the middle of the 2018 holiday shopping season. However, if you only showcase Instagram content, your feeds will continue to work and update as expected since Instagram will not be deprecating this functionality until early 2020. But — tick tock — 2019 is almost here, and this time frame is going to run out faster than you think.

Instagram Business Accounts & Ecommerce

Because of how well shoppable Instagram and UGC feeds work to drive sales onsite, apps powered by Instagram are more popular than ever, too.

Previously, apps built on the Instagram Platform API allowed both business and non-business Instagram accounts to access content and data. On Dec. 11, 2018, most of that old API will be deprecated and apps will have transitioned to the new Instagram Graph API:

To continue showcasing UGC on your website and have the ability to access Instagram account engagement, you must convert to a Business Account because apps built on the new Instagram Graph API require an Instagram Business Account in order for them to function.

The crux of the matter is that Facebook is limiting the kind of data that third-party apps can access on non-business users.

If you’re wondering, “Why haven’t I noticed any of this yet?” great question. Although many of the above functions were removed from the Instagram API in April through August, they allowed some of them to stay active … but only until Dec. 11, 2018.

To keep everything running smoothly, you need to do the following as soon as possible:

▢ Make sure your store is using an Instagram and UGC app that is approved by Facebook on the Instagram Graph API

But won’t an Instagram Business Account hurt reach and engagement?

Many brands haven’t made the switch due to the wide-spread rumor that converting your account negatively impacts reach and reduces user interactions.

These rumors couldn’t be further from the truth, and there has been no proof or correlations to suggest Business Accounts see fewer interactions. In fact, back in June, Instagram cleared the air in a statement to TechCrunch:

If you feature UGC on your website, the last headache you need is to find that your galleries are no longer updating.

If you currently feature Instagram content in your site and your Instagram account is not an Instagram business account or you're not using an approved Instagram Graph API app, you only have until early 2020 to continue using this functionality without interruption. So, consider transitioning to an Instagram business account now to get ahead of the game.

Brand’s using Foursixty regularly see 8-10X the engagement on Shoppable Instagram feeds onsite over the holiday season. That’s a revenue source nobody wants to miss out on.

That isn’t a plug for my company. Rather, it’s just one of many data points that prove how incredibly valuable taking the Instagram experience onsite can be.

For instance, Frankies Bikinis drives 19% of orders and 23% of total revenue through their shoppable Instagram app.

By converting your Instagram account to a Business Account, and making sure the third-party apps you use are approved, you can rest assured that your social shopping galleries will be fully powered to help you crush the holiday season … and forevermore after that.

2. You Can Access Instagram’s Native Shopping Features

Recently, Instagram introduced their native shopping feature to more businesses through product tagging within posts. They also unveiled a similar feature for Stories:

Hawkers Shoppable Instagram posts

Though you have to be approved by Instagram to use the shopping tag feature, you must be — wait for it — a Business Account.

Instagram is still primarily used for discovering products and brands; however, giving your followers a direct path to purchase is a great feature. Shoppable posts provide users the ability to learn more in the moment and tees them up to buy whenever they want.

During the holidays, the option to buy seamlessly is one of the best things you can provide.

3. You Won’t Be Able to Pull UGC from Hashtags Anymore

You know it better than anyone — hashtags have been notoriously over-used and abused for years.

As part of Instagram’s changes, you’ll no longer be able to draw UGC from #hashtags. @tags and @mentions are the new source.

While this might sounds worrisome, it’s actually a good thing because collecting UGC from @tags and @mentions will actually provide you with better content, a closer relationship with your followers, and a better rights management process.

I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but the ability to source UGC from @tags and @mentions?

Yup — it’s only available to Instagram Business Accounts. This is a UGC game changer for anyone running influencer or micro-influencer campaigns as well as content from customers.

4. Business Accounts Get Tons of Instagram Analytics

Instagram’s analytics tab (e.g., Insights) is a great place to turn to for high-level information on things like Stories metrics, post reach, demographic information, profile visits, bio clicks, and more.

Alternatively, Foursixty’s new Instagram Business Analytics lets you create custom dashboards (based on your own data) to paint a beautiful and in-depth picture of the inner workings of your Instagram engagement.

If you’re a Shopify Plus merchant, be sure to reach out to your Merchant Success Manager. You can also drop me questions in the comments.

About the Author

Michael Chachula is the founder and CEO of Foursixty, the global leader in Shoppable Instagram and UGC technology. Foursixty helps thousands of brands and bloggers monetize both their brand and user-generated Instagram content and use Instagram data to drive their visual marketing and influencer initiatives.